This week the library will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th for Veteran’s Day. We’ll reopen on Thursday at our regular time.

This week’s review is of a book that is a little out of the ordinary. Take the traditional knights and dragons story, but add modern science, a villain that isn’t so evil, a virtuous if naïve knight, and a young lady who isn’t quite as she seems and wrap it up in comic and graphic novel format and you have Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Starting as a web coming in 2012 Nimona is a story about the titular character, Nimona and her adventures as the sidekick to supervillain Ballister Blackheart. Nimona shows up on Blackheart’s doorstep and declares herself the new sidekick without so much as an interview or a demonstration of her villainous attributes. But Nimona does have secrets, mainly that she is an indestructible shapeshifter, normally in the form of a young teenage girl. Blackheart’s virtuous counterpart is a knight of the realm named Ambrosius Goldenloin. The two had been pals when they were training as knights, but an accident made Goldenloin cut off Blackheart’s arm, and the two have been enemies ever since. However, the real enemy in the kingdom may just be the Institution for Law Enforcement and Heroics where Goldenloin works. All the webcomics have been collected here in a 250 page volume and can be read in a couple of hours. The print of the dialogue in each panel is a little small so you may want good lighting to read this. After spending time on the new Young Adult shelves, this title will be shelved with our other comics and graphic novels, now in their own section near the magazines.

You can get more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit.